Ugly Duckling

Synopsis

Ugly Duckling is the story of Patricia Castro, nicknamed “Patito”. She is a sweet thirteen-year-old who is blessed with a lovely singing voice.

Patito lives with her mother Carmen in the city of Bariloche, in southern Argentina. Although they only have each other, their life is peaceful and happy. The one thing that makes Patito sad is not knowing who her father is. Carmen has always kept his identity a secret because she considers her affair with him a youthful indiscretion.

When our story begins, Patito falls in love at first sight with Matías, a boy who is spending his holidays in Bariloche and seems to be beyond her reach, since he lives in Buenos Aires, the big city that Patito has no hope of ever visiting. Yet, to her surprise, she soon finds herself on her way to Buenos Aires with her mother to pick up some medical results. Fate seems to guide their steps, for both mother and daughter cross paths in Buenos Aires with their respective “impossible love”: For Carmen it is Leandro, the love of her life and the father of her child; for Patito it is Matias, her first and only love.

But their path to happiness has many obstacles. Leandro is engaged and about to marry Blanca, an unscrupulous social climber who worked her way into his life through cunning and deceit. Her two accomplices are Polo and Dorinha, who pretend to be her chauffeur and her maid. They are willing to go to any extreme to see Blanca wed to Leandro, so they can steal away his vast fortune.

Matías, on his part, is smitten with Antonella, a pretty but stuck-up girl who happens to be Blanca’s daughter. When Patito learns of their relationship, she convinces herself that she cannot compete with Antonella’s beauty and personality, not realizing that she possesses a beauty far greater than Antonella’s—the beauty of her big, loving heart.

Carmen’s plans to remain in Buenos Aires for no more than a week, but the results of Patito’s tests force her to check Patito into the hospital and begin her treatment immediately. Here, Carmen runs into Leandro by mere chance, after 14 years of being apart.

Leandro turns out to be the director of the hospital, as well as the owner of a highly-respected private clinic. Neither he nor Carmen can believe their eyes, and they soon realize that their story is far from over.  When Carmen discovers that all her money has been stolen, Leandro is there for her, loving, generous, and ready to help the woman who has lived in his memory all these years. He personally takes charge of Patito’s treatment and grows close to the sweet child, never suspecting that she is his own flesh and blood.

Carmen reconsiders keeping her secret when she realizes the beautiful bond that seems to be growing between Leandro and her daughter. She is about to reveal the truth on several occasions, but the misunderstandings of the past are constantly making her and Leandro take a step back and assume a defensive position.

Patito is enrolled in the “Pretty Land School of Arts,” which belongs to Leandro’s mother Ines, who is also the headmistress.

At the school, Chicho —an impostor who has managed to get hired by Ines as music teacher—has the “brilliant idea” of forming two groups to compete against each other in the Musical Comedy class. The winners are to represent the school in a city-wide competition. The groups are: “The Divines,” headed by Antonella, and the group that Patito belongs to: “The Popular Kids.”  Both groups are made up of kids with very different personalities, which allow us to explore the rich and varied nuances of the pre-teen world. The songs and choreographies bring color and excitement to this story, and will capture the hearts of the TV audience.

Everyone will want to know if Patito’s dreams will finally come true, if she will find out who her father is, become a famous singer, conquer Matias’ heart… and, as they say in fairytales, live happily ever after!

Format

Telenovela

155 x 60'

InfantoJuvenil

Photo Gallery - Click to enlarge

Characters

Patito - More

Josefina - More

Antonella - More

Tamara - More

Matías - More